This invention relates to apparatus for treating a fluid and to a method of treating a fluid.
Nanoparticles have been developed by numerous researchers for various purposes. Currently they have been utilised in the medical field, for water purification, and for mixing of fluids in microfluidic channels, amongst other fields. The main advantage of nanoscale particles is the increased surface area for the same mass of particles. This increased surface area leads to the desired increased efficiencies.
In the field of water purification, nanoparticles play an equally important role. However the problem of removing the particles after purification led to the idea of a nanoparticle that has a magnetic core. These magnetic nanoparticles have been around for a while and many “removal techniques” have been developed and researched to increase the efficiency of removal.
However the purification part of the system continues to utilise mechanical excitation methods in order to physically excite the nanoparticle with respect to the fluid to be treated in order for the chemical nature of the purification to take place. These methods usually involve some moving parts and, as with all moving parts, they eventually lead to wear and tear maintenance issues.
It is an object of the invention to provide an alternative method and apparatus for treating a fluid.